Memories and Reasons
by VampireFluteChick
Summary: Minerva hadn't always planned for her life to end up the way it did. In fact, it was going to turn out FAR different. However when things didn't go to plan emotions were left raw, dreams were crushed, and a love was lost. Follow Minerva on her and Dougal McGregor's not so magical tale and see if things are truly what they seem.


**Hey guys, this is the first part of the first story to emerge from my, "First Come First Word" shout out. I quite like this idea myself, and I think the person who left the review has a great mind for thinking of it! It's so sad they didn't leave a name. I'm putting the stories in separate documents so they'll be more widely seen, but also under the original document.**

 **ONLY THE FIRT PART OF MULTI CHAPTER STORIES WILL BE POSTED UNDER THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND THE FULL STORY TOO SEE THE WOLE THING.**

 **So they'll be uploaded in two places. To the guest who gave me the review, I hope I've done your idea justice in both your opinion and everyone else's!**

 **Prompt: McGonagall's life before, during, and after her romance with Dougal McGregor. Idea left by a guest in the reviews.**

 **This is going to be a multi chapter fanfiction.**

 **Chapter 1: Fear**

Light shone through the simple wooden window, basking the plain cream walls in a warm glow. Shadows let out a chorus of silent hisses as the world accepted the day, and the hand-stitch quilt sleeping on the tasteful bedframe sighed. Beneath the fabrics warm hug a small, sleepy girl stretched. Bending into an arc with legs shooting outwards and arms reaching for the headboard the girl more resembled a cat. Finished with her usual morning greeting she relaxed her strengthened muscles and gazed at the usual, bland ceiling, mapping out shapes and words in the star like speckles of white paint. There was nothing special about this typical practice at this typical time on this typical day though. Today was just another day in the world of Minerva McGonagall.

"Well, I suppose maybe not quite so ordinary. After all, birthdays only come once a year." She mused to herself in a quiet but strong voice. Even though she was only ten years old, well eleven as of today, she was mature for her age. Out of her small circle of friends form the school in the closet town Minerva could always be found trying to make them presentable. If they were giggling over the cute boy who sat in the far back left corner of the room, she was silent and watching for any indication that he would suddenly turn his attention their way, hands poised at the ready to snuff her friends fawning words. At lunch if the other three girls were discussing the latest fashion trends, Minerva was counting down the minutes until the bell rang and she would inevitably need to prod them to their next class in time to avoid the shaming tarty slip. She soon caught the attention of most of her teachers with her unlikely behavior. They quite enjoyed her othering personality, and always took the opportunity to joke in class that she was more responsible than they were. Minerva would be lying if she denied the compliment.

However she didn't sit on the thought any longer than it took for the sentence to emerge from her mind. When you lived on a farm there was always work to do and a new purpose to each day, and she wasn't about to let something as silly as a birthday stunt her schedule. Throwing her quilt to the side she disregarded it momentarily as her callused, bare feet swept across the worn hardwood flooring then were cradled by her favorite pair of sandals. She would need to change into more suitable shoes later that morning, but for right now her objective was to collect the decent quantity of eggs from the hen house. Throwing a glance over her shoulder Minerva took a quick look at her pristine bedroom and smiled. Perfect, as usual.

Brushing past her closed door she moved easily through the slim hallway passing two doors on either side of her, the bathroom, and then flying down the stairs. No doubt her two younger brothers were still sleeping, enjoying the "lazy" Saturday of summer. She scoffed. The word lazy wasn't in her vocabulary other than to insult people. Turning to the left at the bottom of the first stair way she finished out the wooden steps and swing around the banister into a large room. Continuing on her path to the backdoor she moved through the room and under an open entry way into the main room. Their front door was painted a warm navy blue with a twine "Home Sweet Home" sign hanging from a simple nail. Continuing forward she moved in a straight line into the dining room that was connected to the homey kitchen. Turning to her right she entered another hallway with a larger bathroom and master bedroom. At the end of the hall was the largest room in the house, the family room. Inside were two matching couches, a desk, television, and bookshelves. On the left were a set of beautiful French doors, their tinted glass filtering light into the large room. On the right wall was a door into the storage room beneath the house. It's wasn't as large as a basement, but it allowed them to house decorations, spare wood, and other oddities they didn't keep in the barn.

Pushing into the beams of light Minerva grasped the elegant brass door knob and tugged. As the door flew open the sweet scent of fresh air and growing grass engulfed her in a tight embrace. The young girl's smile grew wider across her face as she strode into the day. Outside she was greeted with a vast sea of grass, only the faintest outline of a wooden fence bobbing out against the bright blue sky. Ancient trees struck out from the ground and poked into the sky. Much closer to the house was large, sturdy barn, and she saw her father walking out with a series of tools in his hands. He noticed his oldest child and only daughter standing in front of the doors and waved.

"Morning love!" He called out, his smile clear in his words. Minerva waved back and laughed as her father nearly tripped on the spidery legs of his rake. His laughter soon reached across the farm, and Minerva's day just got better. Focusing back on her original mission she turned to her right and snatched a lined basket eagerly awaiting her grip. Clutching it loosely she began her journey to the barn where the hen house waited inside. Enjoying the typical ease of watching the life blooming around her Minerva watched the family dogs chase an unsuspecting cat around, only to be deterred by the feline's claws, and then rush into the safety of the dog house. Birds chatted loudly above her as she passed under shading leaves. What they were discussing she could only guess, however she always held the thought of them arguing about politics or shouting about the latest feathery news. Soon the year worn trail ended beneath her feet as she reached the thick wooden doors. Used to their stubbornness her muscles flexed as she forced them to comply, the hinges grinding in protest. For years her father had gone on about replacing the wood and oiling the hinges. And for years the wood seemed to gain weight and hinges grew stickier.

"Watch out!"

The girl's eyes whipped around the barn in a panic, the serenity in her mind suddenly cracking like glass having rocks flicked at it. Right in front of her a spastic bolt of water was rapidly approaching, its winding body approaching at a speed both unbelievable and unavoidable. Bracing herself, Minerva squeezed her eyes shut and stiffened, waiting for impact. She was soaking before she could let out her breath. Water droplets trailed down the bridge of her nose and off her morning hair, their thick bodies hitting the ground with a loud 'plat'. Exhaling with a sigh her eyes flitted open only to see a green breeze flying up to her.

"I'm sorry hun, I wasn't expecting you so early this morning!" A sweet voice cried. The young girl could feel bare arms wrapping tightly, but gently around her, pulling her into a warm chest. A soft chin rested atop her nutmeg hair, a soft squishing sound and a surge of water rushing down her forehead accompanying the motion. Minerva just smiled and let the handbasket slide from her water speckled hand. After a breath the figure released her grip on the girl and stepped backwards to reveal a bright smile on both her mouth and gaze. Minerva's mother was unlike any other woman in the entire village. Magnificent at everything she did as well as stunning, many children envied Minerva. When the two ran errands down the worn streets later in the week the small girl could often times hear hurried whispers and heavy gazes fallowing their shadows. She loathed the attention and disgust swelled into an uncomfortable knot at the back of her throat. However, after calm prompting and a warm smile from her mother she somehow always managed to swallow the insults and angry words. They always burned like poison going down though.

Minerva had her mother's glossy hair, though the older woman could hardly ever be found with their soft tendrils resting on her shoulders. Instead they were always tucked neatly into a bun. Whenever she was feeling particularly fancy she might even braid it into a single, long tail. Her skin was naturally pale, however in the sunshine of summer it gave off a radiant, tan glow. As for her figure, well it was nothing particularly special per-say. While she wasn't exactly a board she wasn't exactly curvy either, leaving her with a perfect, average balance according to most. No, these three things were not the reason men whispered and children stared in wonderment, eyes wide with admiration and awe. It was how she carried herself that brought all these annoyances, in Minerva's opinion, her way. When she walked past you felt an invisible force radiate off the woman in powerful waves, their hands pushing against you yet lulling you into motherly safety at the same time. She was an untouchable, uncontainable, and unapproachable other worldly being. And yet this elegant beauty chose to extend her arms to crying children and bind her heart to a mere farmers in cords of love too strong to describe. She was an erupting volcano gently hugging the land. A thunderstorm singing the softest of lullabies.

"Here, let's get you cleaned up."

Minerva's wondering mind snapped back to the fact she was standing in the barn completely drenched, her egg basket void of the prior and probably having collected its fair share of water. Looking up at her mother with apologetic eyes, she sheepishly watched as her mother raised her wand and pointed its thin body at her. Words Minerva did not understand floated off the woman's smile and suddenly the water had conducted itself off the child's cloths and back into its bucket where it had escaped earlier. The girl watched the water snake into the air with curiosity and understanding, if she could even feel both emotions at once. Magic had always been in her life, however she never understood how it came to be, and how her mother was able to use it so flawlessly. When she was at the young age of seven her mother would tell her about this place, a school that had a giant tree rooted at the castles front. Her mother would say that when she was a first year often times she was dared to steal a leaf off one of this tree's branches and bring it back to the same third years.

" _Easy Enough!"_ her mother had replied to the sniggering boys in green ties. At the end of that day's lessons she went down to the tree with the boys in tow. However as soon as she began approaching the leaf littered ground by the tree the two stopped suddenly, their cold stares the only thing following her then. Undeterred she kept walking, growing nearer and nearer to the monstrosity with each second. It didn't take long for her to realize why this had been a dare.

As soon as the tree's skeleton branches loomed over her short stature they shattered all sense of serenity around them as they twisted angrily to life, snapping at her with unbelievable force and terrifying speed. Scrap the bloody dare, she was just trying to get out without a broken bone or bleeding gash at that point. Spinning around she began sprinting as fast as her robed legs would allow, the long black fabric doing nothing to aid her situation. Behind her she could hear the soft crush of the dirt she had just been standing on, and she felt the chilling breeze of the impact on her neck. This only motivated her to move faster. To her left long, spindly lines of darkness licked the ground ferociously, agitated by her slowness. Ahead of her the boys were pointing and laughing at her, an act they paid dearly for at diner when they suddenly found their pumpkin juice spiked with a spell that made their tongue interrupt them whenever they tried to speak. At the time though they called out to her in mocking voices things like, "run little girl run!" and, "It's going to get you and crush you!" which was then followed by sickening giggles.

Soon she no longer saw the branches lashing at the ground behind her, and only then did she stop running. Doubling over so that her hands were pressing harshly onto her bent knees she inhaled deeply, couching at the sudden intake of airflow. Eyeing the tree to her right she watched the trunk twist in short spurts to both sides. The action caused a rainfall of leaves to float effortlessly to the ground, thus covering all signs of the petrifying struggle.

"Smart tree that one was." Minerva's mother concluded the tale. Oddly enough it was spoken with a loving sigh. As her daughter stared at her in confusion she eventually continued with an explanation.

"Though it was terrifying and the root of most dares, it along with the Shrieking Shack, that tree was one of the best security systems Hogwarts had on grounds." She finally spoke with a loving smile. She then laughed when Minerva asked what the Shrieking Shack was.

"That my dear is a _whole_ other can of worms that I _might_ tell you about when you're older!"

After that tale Minerva was always thinking about the scary tree with the long branches that attacked people. The Womping Willow her mother had called it. In any case she kept reflecting on how happy her mother seemed to tell the story, and thus began a long list of secret adventures. She would often find random sticks in the yard and replicate her mother's words to the best of her ability, hoping for the three in the front of their average house to start bending into odd shapes.

It never did.

But that never stopped her from trying.

"Alrighty love, I'm going to go out and work in the garden out front!" Her mother spoke sweetly, pulling her out of her thoughts. Mentally shaking herself, she nodded with a smile as she bent down to pick up her gathering basket for the second time that morning. Smiling, her mother stowed her wand somewhere within the folds of her apron and winked. "Oh, and don't take too long out here! I have something special planned for your birthday!" And with that the woman was out the door and Minerva was alone with the animals in the barn.

"A surprise?" She wondered aloud, her voice unsure and questioning. Her mind raced for what her mother could have possibly meant. Of course there would be cake later that night after her favorite dinner, and her family would sing to her as she blew out the eleven candles crowning the homemade frosting. She would open the one present they all had gotten her, and then she would thank her mother and father before being tucked into bed with a smile on her face. She felt her heart warming at the sweet memory.

What else could possibly happen? What was she forgetting?

Suddenly her stomach dropped as she realized what her mother must have meant. The hidden meaning behind her words and certainty behind her wink.

 _She's expecting me to receive my letter._

The thought rolled through her mind and seeped into her veins and muscles. Without warning her legs began to tremble ever so slightly and her hands fiddled nervously with basket handle she was clutching tightly with frozen fingers. Her mind raced with intense emotions that fought brutally for her attention, the battle causing the rest of her body to shut down and become numb. Her eyes were glossy with panic and mouth slightly ajar as she tried to make sense of the confusion going on in her mind. Her lungs screamed for air, their burning hands clawing savagely at the back of her throat and down into her ribcage. It was only then that she realized she was holding her breath. Gasping abruptly air flooded her body and mind, the sudden shock causing her mind to slow down for half a second. Most of the emotions faded into the background noise of her mind as Minerva greedily gulped in the desperately needed air laced with the scent of hay and summer. There was only one emotion left now.

Fear.

Ice filled her body as she recounted the memory of the bitter day she had never thought possible. As she continued growing and attempting her mother's spells every disappointment sat heavier in her chest, digging into her heart until small beads of blood escaped like unruly tears. With every syllable, stick, and determined grimace the reality she had refused to acknowledge closed in on her like a ferocious hunter does its feeble prey. However it wasn't until a cold winter day did was she finally cornered with no hope of escape.

Minerva had been practicing in the front yard, as usual, surrounded by thick layers of snow and ice. It was noon and yet her fingers were flaming red as they shakily clutched the slightly curving rod of her latest found stick. Snot dripped from her nose and froze before it hit and made small impressions in the fluffy ground. Huffing in frustration at her recent failure she paused for longer than ever before, mind throbbing with one question.

"What am I doing?" She spoke to herself hesitantly.

Though she hadn't thought of it then Minerva knew now that at the exact moment she chose to verbally speak her hopelessness she had given up. However she kept trying the spell her mother had told her about late into the afternoon until she was called inside by her mother.

That night terrible storm had fallen over the town and she clearly remembered freezing under the intense layers of blankets she shared with her younger brothers while her father went without one and held onto their mother tightly, smoke-like puffs announcing his deep breaths. The power was out in their house and her mother had said it was the same in town. Minerva didn't ask how her mother knew, she just believed nodded and tried to keep her teeth from chattering. They sat huddled on their parents king sized bed for fifteen minutes until Isobel let out a sharp hiss. Her eyes stared hardly at the quickly building ice snaking up the windowpanes to their right. Robert spoke while the kids stared in confusion and high strung uncertainty.

"Honey, I'm sure it's just a regular escapee search. You know how crowded Azkaban has been. They'll just search around the house and leave." Her spoke soothingly as her absentmindedly stroked his wife's hair. While Isobel nodded in agreement her eyes shot to the closed doorframe, an intense stare settling on the worn wood as if she could keep it closed with her sheer will power.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Malcolm, the youngest brother, ask in a quiet voice. Isobel spared a fond glance at her shivering son and did her best to smile.

"Nothing sweetie. There just a bad man on the loose and they're trying to find him is all." She answered confidently. However the blandness of the answer showed her attempt at dodging the real question. If Minerva has asked she simply would have nodded and let it go understanding that her mother didn't want to talk about the specifics of what was really happening. However at just four years old Malcolm didn't understand these things and pressed on in curiosity.

"Who's looking for him mama?"

Isobel sat in silence for a few breaths, clearly deliberating the best way to tell her child about the true nature of what was happening. She wasn't able to give a reply though before the piercing sound of a window shattering upstairs cut though the tension and releasing the quickly pulsing energy that had been building up within their mother.

Shooting from her husband's arms Isobel jumped off the bed and flew to the door with unquestionable certainty of what she needed to do. Through all the excitement Minerva almost hadn't noticed how her mother held her wand in her hand in a firm, unbreakable grip. Almost.

"Keep the kids safe, I'm going to take care of this!" She ordered in a deep voice. Robert simply nodded and pulled the kids tightly into his arms, blankets and all, and nodded to his wife. She returned the gesture and was turning to open the door when Roberts's strong voice spoke.

"Be safe."

Isobel paused as if to discern the appropriate reply. Turing her head slightly she gave him a week smile.

"You too." And then dashed out the door.

Minerva watched as her mother's figure disappeared into the impossibly dark void that was the doorway and scurried up to where the sound had come from. She felt her father's breath stiffen and grip grow tighter as they all listened intently. Soon they could hear their mother's muffled footsteps as she ran up the stair and into what they judged to be Robert Jr.'s room. Being only two years older than his younger brother their reactions were similar as the running suddenly stopped and silence filled the bedroom. They whimpered quietly and huddled in closer to their father. He let them burrow deeper into the mountain of blankets surrounding them, never taking his focus off his wife in the upstairs room. Minerva moved forward a little so that her father's arms weren't wrapped so tightly around her as she listened.

Suddenly there was a loud cry from Isobel and the sound of cracking wood. At the same time there was the sound of something slamming harshly into the outside wall. More crackling glass. Isobel could be heard jumping to her feet, unfazed by being thrown into what Minerva pictured to be the bed. Once again there was the familiar dash of footsteps and then the beginning of foreign words. Robert let out a relived sigh as his wife began casting the surly correct spell. A sharp scream of pain cut through the odd words though as their mother was seemingly thrown to the floor. The soft chime of her wand skittering next to her followed quietly.

"No." Robert breathed out sharply, his eyes widening in panic. He began shifting to get a better hold on his children when Minerva broke from his grip. Crawling out of the thick nest of blankets and off the bed she was out the door before Roberts could react, his startled cry nipping at her heals as she ran through the hall and room, and then up the stairs. Reaching the top she spun to her left and rushed to the doorway of her brother's room. What she saw haunted her mind constantly for the next three weeks and evolved into one of her greatest fears.

The creature was floating inches above her mother, what Minerva seemed to judge as its face beginning to lean into her mothers. Its skeletal fingers clawed the air to its sides in jerky movements. The black tendrils floating grotesquely off its demonic body spilled into the air like spilled ink made out of the foulest feelings and actions in the word. They reached for Minerva and her heart stopped and eyes widened in horror at the monstrosity. Her mind screamed at her to move and help her mother but her limbs were suddenly heavy with every disappointment she had ever felt. They sagged to her sides and she fell harshly to her knees, however she didn't register the pain through the unending sorrow filling her until she might burst into a cloud of nothingness. All the air in her lungs spewed hopelessly into one giant puff in front of her face. Her voice garbled and she felt as though she was choking on her own miserable life as it forced its way into her body.

Inside the room Isobel hissed in pain as she shakily yanked a rigid shard of glass from her right shoulder. Her eyes were shut tightly as she fought the darkness that threatened consume her as she tried to stay conscious. The sound caused Minerva's groggy mind to sluggishly focus her, the image sliding off her like rain does a window.

 _That's my mother._ She thought lethargically, the words rolling lazily around in the thick depression crushing her skull from the inside out. It kept repeating itself over and over again. _That's my mother. That's my mother. That's my mother…"_

Minerva's eyes widened suddenly as a single moment of clarity slapped her. That was her mother withering on the floor, prey to the monster. Though the thoughts and feelings fought to chain her down the single thought propelled her to stand to her feet. Inhaling deeply her raw lungs welcomed the sudden intake of air and her arms gripped the sides of the doorframe firmly. Drawing her head up so she could focus on the situation she fought to mumble the slowly forming words in her mind.

"Get….away….her." She drawled hoarsely. When the creature didn't stop looming over her mother Minerva used all the new air in her lungs to propel the words toward the thing.

"Get away from my mother!" She screamed in a shrill voice. It seemed to do the trick As the depressing monster suddenly reeled back and faced Minerva. Minerva's eyes widened as she saw the blank surface where a face should be and she felt her stomach drop. However the shock was short lived as the creature began crawling towards her. Forcing her body to cooperate with her through the black sludge that filled her Minerva spun slowly on her heals and turned right. She was able to land the first two stairs solidly but her legs were too slow to keep up with her racing mind and she found herself suspended in air and then landing into the wooden railing severely. She groaned softly and was bet with a sharp pain when she tried to move her ankle so she could get to her feat. Wincing at the singing feeling she knew that something was seriously wrong. However the impending figure at the top of the stairs increasingly approaching her drew her focus back to the mission at hand.

Forcing her way to her feat she bit the inside of her cheek to contain the scream that was boiling in the back of her throat. Copper washed over her tongue as she finished the bottom part of the stairs and mad her way into the living room. Behind her she could feel the air growing colder as the thing rapidly caught up to her. Suddenly she was up against the wall. Turning the thing was inches away from her own pale face. Once of its claw like hands flew to her throat and gripped her tightly as to make sure she couldn't escape. Choking Minerva clenched her eyes tightly shut and tried her best to breath. Though the hold wasn't strong enough to choke her she found herself fighting for each breath. After mere seconds of this she felt something she had never felt before in her life.

Even to this day she couldn't find the words to describe what she had felt that night in her living room. In the end the best she could come up with was what it would feel like if every happy memory was being pulled out of your soul, leaving only hollowness inside. Her body went lax in the creatures grip and she stopped struggling. Her mind was foggy and breathing was becoming steadier. She tried to fight the lethargic feeling washing over her, the waves crashing into her and breaking her body. After five seconds of mentally struggling her hold on reality slipped and the black waves pulled her into a place she had never known existed within her. Slowly her dull eyes drifted open and she saw the thick being of darkness before her, a wisp of a line flowing out of her body and into its own. It seemed as soon as they had opened her eyelids collapsed once more, and this time she knew they would stay closed. Just as the darkness began to be ebbed with something toxic and numbing a bright light infiltrated the emptiness. Words accompanied the flash, and Minerva held on to them as she fell from one blackness into another.

When Minerva woke she was lying on the kitchen counter with the faces of her brothers hovering closely to hers. Even though she didn't understand why her arms flew to shield her face, smacking Robert Jr. in the process. Both boys jumped and Malcom began giggling as he pointed to his brother that was gently cupping his left cheek.

"Mom she hit me!" He pouted. However his complaint was lost as Minerva felt her body being hugged tightly. She was lifted so that she sat on the counter and could hear both her mother and father sobbing with joy.

"Oh thank God!" Robert cried as her clutched his wife and daughter. They sat like that for a good two minutes before the two finally pulled away. Robert half-heartedly swiped at the tears glistening on his cheeks. Minerva turned her attention to her mother and found her eyes struggling to keep up with her mind. Once she had finally focused on her Minerva observed her small scratches and slight bruising on her mother's face, but when she looked to see more and found nothing a relived sigh escaped her lips.

"How are you feeling love?" Isobel asked quietly, her gaze level with Minerva's. The child paused in slow thought. How was she feeling? It seemed as though her silence was reply enough and her mother hurriedly shoved something into her hands.

"Here, eat this. It will make you feel better." She spoke soothingly. Minerva just nodded and bit into the thing before bothering to glance to what it was. As soon as the sweet substance landed on her tongue she knew exactly what it was and looked down at the large bar of milk chocolate in her hands.

"Yup. Trust me, chocolate is going to make you feel better." Isobel said as she saw her daughter's confused face. "Eat as much as you can."

Minerva nodded and continued to nibble absentmindedly at the rather large bar in her hands. As she let the chocolate melt in her mouth she tried to remember what had happened to make her family react like this. She started with the previous morning and worked her way until dinner. Then everything began to emerge grudgingly from the thick fog clouding her memory. First came the storm and the family huddling on the bed. Then the frost on the window. All of a sudden the fog seemed to be pulled sharply from her mind and all the events from last night hit her at once. The bar slid from her frozen hands and crashed to the floor and her lungs struggled to take in breath. All the emotions she had fought through fell on her like a leaded curtain and her voice struggled to cry out.

"Robert, get the boys upstairs right now!" Isobel shouted at her husband. He nodded and picked up both wide eyed boys so that he was carrying one in each arm. He rushed into the hallway and back into the master bedroom. Minerva didn't register any of this though as she found her voice and began screaming shrilly.

"Minerva! Minerva stop! You're safe now!" Isobel shouted over her daughters shrieking. She threw her arms around the girl and hugged her tightly even though her headache throbbed at the sudden noise. "You're safe now. I promise" She spoke soothingly as she rested her chin on Minerva's head like she usually did. Finally the cries cut off with a sharp sobs. They stayed like that for five minutes, just wrapped in each other's presence until Minerva had finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Minerva honey, you need to tell me what you saw last night." Isobel whispered still hugging the young girl. Minerva paused, trying to find her answer.

She had no idea what propelled her do it, but the words came quickly and surly as she began to speak.

"When I heard you scream I ran out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. I was going to run upstairs when I slid on the rug and crashed into the wall. I hurt so bad mama. I tried to get up by ankle hurt too bad and I began to cry. When I opened my eyes all I could see was the wall. Then came those awful feelings. I don't remember much after they started and I fell into this black abyss."

The lie was smooth as a flower petal and Minerva could tell that it had stuck as her mother's eyes reveled a relieved expression as she pulled away and looked at her daughter.

"I'm glad that's all it was. And you're sure you didn't see anything…odd?" Isobel pressed. Magic was nothing she kept hidden from her children. However there was some aspects of it she didn't feel the need to tell her children. Due to being half witch and half muggle she had yet to determine if her little girl was in fact a witch. And until she was absolutely sure Minerva was one or the other Isobel refused to talk about the dark side of her world. Dementors, Azkaban, and the many terrifying creatures were something she avoided at all costs. Pulling farther away from her daughter she smiled and helped her off the counter thanking God she hadn't seen the true horror from last night.

"What happened last night mama?" Minerva asked innocently before biting another tidbit off her chocolate bar. Isobel looked down at her daughter and gave a small smile.

"It was just the wind that broke the window. I was so shocked that I tripped to avoid the broken glass and fell onto RJ's bed. Then the bookshelf on his wall collapsed and I must have screamed out of fright." Isobel lied just as smoothly. Minerva nodded.

"Now head down the hall and take a bath. I'll have to clean upstairs before anyone is allowed up there. I'll go ahead and bring your towel to you when you're ready." She concluded with a playful pat on Minerva's head. Once again Minerva nodded and shoved a fair bit of her candy bar into her mouth, her appetite suddenly returning.

Now Minerva stood in the barn, completely frozen as the memory played out before her eyes. After that night she knew she was different. That she was magical. And yet she had yet to make anything happen through all of her attempts. She was magical enough to see the things normal people couldn't, and yet she couldn't do anything else. Even by accident nothing abnormal had ever happened in her life. This was her worst unspoken fear that was now going to come to life today as she watched her mother's disappointed gaze tuck her in tonight. Minerva wasn't going to receive a letter to Hogwarts because she wasn't magical enough. That was what terrified her more than the creature from that night, or of the threatening Womping Willow.

For the rest of the day Minerva went through her daily routine with a sort of numbness she couldn't shake until she was sitting at the dinner table with a white cake with red, yellow, blue, and green frosting lining the edges. Around her sat her family and neighbor Dougal McGregor, all watching her in the soft light of the approaching sunset with wide smiles on their faces. Minerva smiled back at them even though it didn't reach into her heart. They had just finished singing the usual birthday anthem and were waiting for her to blow out the eleven flickering candles in front of her.

"Alright love, make a wish!" Robert smiled happily with his hands on his wife's shoulders. She smiled brightly and Minerva, her eyes swelling with pride. Minerva felt a lump form in the back of her throat.

"Yeah come on squirt, make a wish already so we can eat cake!" Dougal teased as he jabbed her playfully in the ribs. She shot him a deadly glare but couldn't help the giggle that bubbled out of her throat, the lump easing away. Though he would never admit it Dougal had a soft spot for his neighbor and close friend Minerva. While during school they tended not to run into one another very often due to him being two grades ahead of her they were still best friends, and they could often be found joking around both of their farms if they happen to be walking that way. Dougal was like them and lived on the nearest farm with his family.

"Come _on!_ " Malcolm whined, drool visibly dribbling down his chin. Minerva just rolled her eyes and eyed the candles.

 _I want my letter. I want my letter. I want my letter._ She repeated over and over in her head as she tightly closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of smoke, family, and the fading light. Holding the air in for three seconds she thought as hard as she could before unleashing it in a powerful gust. She got all the candles in one try.

Little did she know about the snowy owl waiting patiently outside with a neatly written letter and the name _Minerva_ scribbled on the envelope resting in his beak.

 **Alright, that's it for the first chapter! I know not much in terms of romance happened other than introducing the characters, but trust me! We just needed to get this out of the way before we could get anywhere else! I have a plan! Please review what you think! Love ya!**

 **~VampireFluteChick~**


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